Seth Parker presents, fresh off the press
Gaylord Hotels Holiday Refresh
The photo session
One commission, three resorts, three states — Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, and Gaylord Palms down in Kissimmee. The only job in these twelve that took me out of Tennessee and Alabama.
The Credits
from the recordLiner Notes
the record, in fullThree Atriums
This was 2021, the year Gaylord ran Mission: Save Christmas and put Elf through the whole brand. There was no ice that season. The carvers come from Harbin and still couldn’t get here, so ICE! sat out a second year and the show had to be built from set pieces, light and sound instead. That is the harder thing to photograph. Ice does half the work for you.
The Atrium Does the Work
At these properties the atrium is the architecture, and for six weeks a year it is the venue too. Glass overhead means the light moves all day and you don’t get a vote in it. You shoot early and you shoot late.
Marriott manages the resorts. Ryman Hospitality Properties owns the real estate — worth saying on a page about buildings.